Pack
by oXXb00kw0rmXXo
Summary: I was the boy who was more wolf than human. She was the girl who strived to be normal. He was a prisoner in his own kind. Soon we would be on our own. Survival of the fittest is different without a pack by your side.
1. Chapter 1

**Pack- Chapter 1**

**Here is my new fic, titled "Pack." I really hope you enjoy it! This is sort of a prologue-ish thing. Thanks to my beta, Ninja C, who actually gave me the idea for my title (Thank goodness or it wouldn't have been posted for another month or so!). Ha! And you say you feel like it's intruding...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything you recognize. I _do_ own Maria, though, and I adore her. Anyone read Twilight? I know exactly how ironic it is that she was named Maria... but they are nothing alike!! At all!! The name just clicked. I hope you all fall in love with her, too! Oh, and I do not own any references to The Lion King.**

* * *

I first saw him when I went to the park to play. I don't remember who I was with or why. All I remember was seeing a man in tattered clothes standing by the trees. I stared at him for a second, but was knocked down by a bigger boy, only to realize that he had disappeared.

He was there again, twenty minutes later, holding an ice cream cone. He lured me over and I was grabbed by the arm. I screamed, but nobody came. To tell you the truth, for a three year old, I was kind of stupid. Even three year olds know not to talk to strangers and go for the candy trick. Of course, it wasn't a trick; he really _did_ have ice cream. It tasted good. I haven't had ice cream since then.

I can't remember what happened between him grabbing me and us arriving at the cave, but I'm sure I was absolutely terrified. I stared down at the shaking children now and smirked. Yes, I was definitely terrified.

The next day had been the most painful day in my existence. I had been shoved into a cramped cave, a smaller one within, and bitten over and over again. I could remember the sharp teeth that had brushed up on my arm, the piercing screams. I finally slept, enduring the pain in the best way I could.

When I woke, I was a wolf. I had always been a wolf; my best memories were as such. I learned how to hunt, how to steal, and even how to read and write a little from the wolves. Well, maybe I should make myself a little more clear – I wasn't a wolf, but a werewolf. The biggest difference was my status. I was lower, much lower than any of the children that had been stolen. There was only one other that had the same treatment, and that was my best friend, Maria.

Though I hate to admit it, she was a bit of a disgrace to the pack. She gets this weird guilt at random times for doing the simplest things. She's also not very good at stealing. They figured that I would be the same when they found we were practically attached at the hip by the third day, but the reality was quite the opposite. Most felt bad that I was left alone, seeing as my skills were excellent.

And that's being modest.

"So, you see, status and age in this pack is extremely important," Maria lectured beside me, as I daydreamed about my past, my beginning. She nudged me – it was my turn.

"Here's how it basically goes. Now, as a young child, you will all be adopted into a family within the pack. They will care for you. By the time you are ten, you will help find food and supplies for your family. And at fourteen, you will officially join the pack, as a mature adult. A mate will be assigned to you, then. Don't worry, they usually pair it very well."

"Oh, and at sixteen, it is possible for you to be offered a child. You may decline, though."

The children stared at us blankly. I sighed. They were still human, I suppose. Hadn't even had the first transformation. I rubbed my sore back – it had been last night. They all scratched at their bandages, eager to take them off.

"Any questions?"

"Am I ever going to see my Mommy and Daddy again?" one little girl asked.

"Honey," Maria bent down to her level, "Mommy and Daddy don't matter. Soon you'll have a new Mommy and Daddy."

"Don't use baby words with them!" I scolded her. "Look, kid – you'll learn quick that humans do not make a difference to us. Your parents are human. We don't care about them. In fact, we eat humans." All the children gasped and I rolled my eyes. "You don't have to, of course; it's an acquired taste. I'm not such a huge fan of it myself."

"What did any of that have to do with status?" one of the older children, probably around seven, asked me.

"When you are an adult you are part of the pack. When you are a child, you are not. As you get older, you're more respected. And also, not being accepted into a family means one thing."

"What?"

"You're an orphan and a servant. When you are an orphan, you steal and hunt the same as everyone else, but you must get your own food from the start. You take orders from anyone and everyone older than you. There's no saying no. You sleep in the most cramped corner of our hideout, wherever it winds up being. You carry the biggest load when we move. And so on. It's a hard life, but I don't think you have to worry about it. All the partners seem willing to take you on."

"Are you two orphans?"

"Why else are we giving this speech and not with the rest, eating?" Maria smiled grimly. "Go! Shoo! Get your food and report back here. A man, Greyback, I told you who he was, will be here to assign you to your families." They scurried off towards the crowd while we edged away from it.

"Wanna go out and eat?" I asked her and she shrugged. She was no pushover, but she didn't really care much when it came to little decisions. We both grabbed a hunk of meat and a small roll of bread and picked our way to the entrance. Exhilarated with the fresh air, we ran all the way to the field of fresh grass, screaming to each other the whole way.

_Odd_, I thought when we got to a patch of flowers. _I don't hear her anymore._

She pounced from between the trees and I was on my back.

"Ha, pinned ya!" she laughed before letting me up. I growled softly before lunging. Suddenly, my head bumped the ground once again.

"Ha, pinned ya again!" She rolled over and laid beside me on the grass, just staring up at the clouds. I tore at my food, trying unsuccessfully to fill my empty stomach.

"Can't wait until I'm fourteen," I muttered darkly to myself.

"We just turned eleven!"

"So? When I'm fourteen, we'll really be part of the pack. We'll get more food, we'll get more privileges - "

"I, for one, am glad to be an orphan. Did you see how the other children are treated? When they misbehave, they're beaten by their 'parents.' I'd rather not, thanks."

"And when we misbehave, we're beaten by Greyback – oops, sorry, 'Father,' – and it's even worse." She sighed, giving up.

"True, true. Hey, let's got back before we get in trouble." We sat up grudgingly, making our way back to the rocks as the sun set. We climbed slowly up the mountain, until our hiding spot was once more found. Two men were standing at the entrance.

"There you are!" one of them yelled.

"You're both with us on guard duty tonight!" the other one added. "Get over here!" We ran to the two men.

"We'll take shifts. You two and then us, got it? Wake us up at sunrise." Then they turned and dropped down on the dirt. We stood and took our guard positions, on opposite sides of the entrance.

It was an uneventful night, except for Greyback, who left only minutes after we took position.

Never before us had children be told to do guard duty. We were simply not strong or bold enough. But, as the servants we are, we did everything. And never before was there two such lowly servants in the pack.

Until Greyback returned.

* * *

It was sunrise and we had gone to wake the men.

"Wake up!" I muttered sleepily as I shoved them around. "Get up, it's time for your guard!" Maria clutched my arm anticipating what was coming next. The man's fist shot out and hit me in the stomach. I doubled over.

"Get back to work," he hissed and I crawled to my station. We could always sleep in the fields during the day.

Greyback arrived half an hour later, a stumbling figure beside him. Greyback had a wand clutched in his hands and at the man's back. He looked terrified. Already in rags, he was tied up with heavy duty rope and gagged with a dirty looking piece of cloth. His face was bruised and cut and he struggled to climb with no support from his hands. Greyback shoved him, trying to help him along, but only maiming him further.

They eventually made their way to the top.

"Hello, sir," I greeted and the man's eyes seemed to pop out of his head. "I thought you didn't like to change adults. Is this a snack or something?" Greyback laughed. As I said before, I was extremely skilled, despite my lowly status. Greyback took interest in me.

"No, no, not at all, although that last one is a good idea…" he crooned and the man stiffened. "This is an old victim of mine; he got away a long, long time ago. And then he came to spy on me, before you joined us. He helped hinder the Dark Lord's success."

I nodded in understanding. Anyone who stopped the Dark Lord was an enemy to us. If the Dark Lord had won, we would have all the food and supplies we needed. We wouldn't have to hide out in forests and caves anymore.

"Anyhow, we have found him once again and are just bringing him back home, where he belongs. Oh, I know you're dying to say something, here." He ripped the cloth of the man's mouth.

"I will never consider this home, I don't belong with you!" he growled, though unimpressively. It was so obvious he hadn't grown up with the pack. I giggled, unable to resist.

"Yes, yes, alright, Lupin, you believe that. I'll tell you of your status and jobs later, in the morning. Meanwhile, Harry?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Look after him for me." The man, Lupin, as he called him, was shoved to the ground and fell face first. Greyback retreated into the cave and I rolled him over onto his back with my foot. I stared at him, curious. He was fuming to himself, muttering and cursing words I hadn't ever heard before.

"He took my wand! I can't believe he took my wand. I got a wand and went to school to prove he _wouldn't_ be able to get me, to prove I wasn't like him, and what happens? He takes it and uses it against me! And I got caught and kidnapped. Kidnapped! I'm not even a kid! I spent my whole life, evading this life, just to be brought back and killed. Hopefully, they do it before the next full moon…"

"They're not going to kill you," I informed him and he looked at me as if he had forgotten I was there. He probably had. "They'll make you a servant and make you work, but they won't kill you. Remember? He said you'd get your status tomorrow."

"My _status_," he spat, "is wizard! And if you want to go more into depth with that, half blood! Perhaps I'll even add werewolf and unemployed to the list. But not savage and most definitely not servant. I know my status, I don't need to be told." I rolled my eyes and let him continue for a few moments.

"Are you gonna shut up, or do I have to do it for you?" I raised my fist threateningly, interrupting yet another monologue. This guy was clearly insane. He smirked.

"Go ahead, try." I glanced warily at Maria, who had fallen asleep ages ago. If she woke up because I got hurt, she'd kill me. But I wasn't going to deny a challenge!

My fist connected with his mouth and he yelped.

"Ow," he gasped. "Okay, I believe you." He cringed as he talked. "I'll stop." His jaw went slack and I watched the bruise form, quite proud of my work.

I fell asleep only moments later on the hard dirt. I didn't wake until noon, and by then, the man was gone. I didn't wonder, I didn't care. He was nothing to me.

* * *

Lupin joined my servant status. Strained as our conversations were, we became friends. Maria clung to the man, always the one to strive to be normal. She had longed for a human life for years. Whenever we were close enough to a town, she would hide by a school and eavesdrop on their lessons, eager to learn. A few times I had tagged on, but it was dead boring to me.

A year passed. Topics and opinions were easier to handle and our discussions less tense. I became comfortable in his presence and even started to care for him. He was like our guardian, always watching out for us. We never knew why, but we accepted it. He was a nice addition to our little group. Of course, he was more kind and gentle than me, leaning more towards Maria's personality. He strived to be in society even more, but was constantly under watch and constantly threatened. Lupin never came with us on raids. He was only allowed to leave the spot during full moon or when going to get water.

We were finally twelve and edging towards the mating year, the maturity year. Sets of children were taken aside to interrogate, to try and find the greatest match. The way they spoke to Maria and I, it seemed almost decided. She crushed heavily on a boy in the more status high group. His father was close to Greyback. Unlike many of us, he had been born into the pack. I, however, had my eye on nobody in particular. The boy had a twin sister who Maria insisted had her eyes on me, but I didn't care.

Remus, as we had finally adjusted to calling him, didn't encourage us in the path of stealing and mating. The stealing was a no-brainer, we all knew he didn't approve of it. However, the mating was a surprise.

"Wouldn't you rather find love on your own?" he asked us once while packing up our things to move on. We had shrugged and told him it didn't make a difference.

Remus was now a steady addition to our group. We cared for him just as we cared for each other and vice versa. I tried desperately to change his views on humanity while he struggled to do the same with me. Maria was in the middle, agreeing with some points and disagreeing with others. Sometimes it got intense, but never escalated to a fight. I knew that if it had been me and another wolf, it could have, but Remus was too calm.

Our life changed that summer, in ways we never could have imagined.

* * *

**Ok, so, I hope you all liked that! More to come... when I'm ungrounded. I got a reprieve for tonight and just tonight, so if I don't reply to your reviews right away, I'm sorry!**

**There I go, assuming I'll get reviews! But I will, right? Right, Ninja C?? Right, Maria? Right, Remus? Right, Harry?? Wait, what do you mean no?? Well, I understand what no means, but why won't I get reviews? Oh, come on, please don't kill the reviewers Harry! Harry! Please don't bite them! Oh, gosh, sorry guys, I gotta go restrain him. He's a bit possessive of me, he doesn't like others to talk to me.**

Just to explain something really quick about aging process in the packs. When they are kidnapped, they are asked how old they are. If they are three, twelve full moons later, they are four, no matter when they really turn four. In some cases, it works out fine. In others, the child is a year younger than they should be. Hint hint, Harry was almost four when he was bit. It was May or June. Of course, he doesn't know this.


	2. Chapter 2

**Pack- Chapter 2**

**Once again, dedicated to NinjaC! Sorry this took so long, I've had a lot of schoolwork lately. I hope you enjpy this! It has the introduction to some more characters.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything you recognize. I _do_ own Maria, though, and I adore her. **

* * *

"Wake up! Wake up, Harry!" Maria squealed. I groaned and rolled to the side, swiping at her angrily.

"Shut up, I'm tired."

"If you hadn't stayed up all night - ," she began to accuse, but Remus cut her off.

"Maria, it was full moon last night. Let him sleep. More importantly, let me sleep." He shut his eyes once more. Full moon always took much more than out of him than it did us. He still wasn't used to the transformation. It was probably something to do with his growing up in civilization.

"Harry, please?" she whispered. "I wanted to go on a raid today. There's this big house nearby, I wanted to see it!"

"No."

"They've got eggs, Harry. When did we last have eggs?"

"Don't care," I mumbled into my arm.

"I'm hungry, though. Come on!" I peeked out from my arm shield, a bad idea on my part. Her wide blue eyes begged me.

"Fine. I'll come." I raised myself to my feet as she silently cheered to herself.

"And guess what else! They're announcing our mates today! I hope he's nice."

"If he's not, I'll beat him up for you." She smiled. They had taken to announcing the mates a year in advance so that we could get used to them. We had turned thirteen three months previous.

"Thanks."

"No problem. We're friends, remember?" I brandished the scar on my palm from when we had shared blood.

"Brother and sister, practically," she agreed.

* * *

We snuck out of the clearing in the forest, our most recent hideaway, and darted for the numerous hills. Maria led the way, our hands clasped so that we would not get lost. It was barely sunrise.

"There it is," she breathed and even I had to gasp. It was humongous, at least seven or eight stories high. It was a peculiar, run down house, but the yard was filled with animals and vegetables.

"I'm not in the mood for meat, are you?" she asked as we passed the chickens stealthily.

"No, I ate meat last night. Besides, poultry isn't that good. Let's find some potatoes or something."

The patch was empty.

"They must have harvested everything already!" I hissed quietly. Maria simply tapped my hand and pointed through a window.

"There's food in there."

"Wanna get some?" I was already trying to figure out how we could open the window.

"And go inside? Are you insane? We could get caught!"

"So? I won't get caught. What do you want?"

"For you to not go in!"

"I'll try potatoes," I told her, ignoring her request. "Help me up?" She sighed, but let my climb onto her back. I carefully pushed the window open and proceeded to climb in.

It was easy once I was in. I found the potatoes, no problem, and even some bread. I also took two apples, a sweet treat.

Getting out proved to be the trouble. I had already passed the food to Maria, who stowed it in her backpack.

I was turning back to grab mine when I found it missing. I searched under the table and by the cupboards, but it wasn't there. My eyes rested on the bag, which was sitting on a chair, only moments too late.

A crash came from upstairs. I froze.

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Ginny! Happy Birthday to you!" several male voices sang. I heard a small, female, shriek only seconds later and footsteps. It seemed to come from far up on the house.

"Fred! George! Let go of me!" it yelled.

"Okay," another two voices chorused and a short scream was heard. It was followed by a thud.

"Ron, will you help me up instead of watching like an idiot?" Scuffling and laughter followed and the sounds of rushing feet came closer. I know I should have moved, but the possibility of being caught still me. What would I do if it were so?

"Harry, come on!" Maria hissed and I turned her way. I launched my bag through the window. She caught it and waited for me. I climbed up onto the counter and prepared to launch myself through. I was halfway out when a yell from behind alerted me.

"Who is that?"

"Get him!" I was suddenly lying on my back, pinned to the ground. The air was knocked out of me, so I gasped again and again. An older boy with strong muscles and numerous burn scars was holding me down. He had vivid red hair, as did the rest of the people surrounding me. One girl, five boys, I noted. Two of them looked identical. I knew of families looking similar, but so similar that I couldn't tell them apart was unheard of, at least by me.

Another boy entered the house and it was clear why he had not been there before. He was holding a squirming Maria in his arms. She was pushed down to lay beside me as we tried to wiggle and worm our way out of this mess.

"It's over," I breathed to her. "We're dead."

"Not dead!" she insisted. "Not going back, probably. But dead?"

"We're pinned to the ground, of course we're dead!"

"What'll they do to Remus?"

"I don't know. Hopefully he'll be alive."

"What are your names?" the boy on top of me asked. When I didn't answer, he shoved me harder. "Who are you?"

"Don't tell them anything!" I hissed to Maria. She nodded, just as afraid as me.

"Charlie, stop it," the boy holding Maria scolded. "You're scaring him."

"Is it even a boy?" Charlie questioned. "The hair is so long." I was tempted to hit him really hard, but as my arms could barely move, that was out of the question.

"We could check," one of the identical boys offered.

"Yeah, just kick him in the –," the other one continued.

"Fred!" the girl interrupted. She watched me warily. "So, are you a boy?"

I figured I could give them that much information.

"Yes," I sneered. "I am. Now will you get off of me?"

"No," Charlie responded coolly. "Ron, go get Mum and Dad, will you?"

"Why me?"

"I don't know! Percy, will you?" But the Percy was already halfway up the stairs. "Where are you from?"

"Don't know, never have. Get off of me!" I repeated.

"You, what about you?" Maria's captor ordered. She stared him boldly in the face and stuck her tongue out. I giggled and she broke out as well, sneaking a glance at me.

Three sets of footsteps approached. A woman with wild red hair gasped.

"What is this? Bill, Charlie, get off those poor children!"

"They broke into the house, Mum!" Bill defended himself.

"Well, I think that they're frightened enough that they won't do anything else," the man beside her speculated. We were let out, but immediately taken captive again, our hands grasped behind our back. Ironically enough, it reminded me of the way they held Remus when we moved to a new location, making sure he wouldn't escape. The same thing was happening to us now.

"Did they take anything?" Ron asked. Bill nodded.

"There were two backpacks out there." The boys that looked the same ran out and returned with our things. They dumped it on the floor beside us. Not including the food, they held our personal belongings. Blankets, a change of clothes for each, and tattered jackets followed. In mine, there were some cool rocks that I had collected, a wrinkled piece of paper that I had practiced my writing on years and years ago, and – to my horror – a little booklet that Remus had made for me to practice reading. He felt that it was needed and even I couldn't disagree. The horror was that he had written the book about things and people I knew. In it detailed my name, Maria's name, his name, the pack, our lifestyle. Maria had a similar one.

I decided that if I ever got out of this, I would kill him for making that book.

Besides the book, Maria had some pretty shells she had found during a brief hideout near a beach. Maria also had a real book, one that we had stolen years ago. It was Muggle, but she devoured it anyways. She had read it numerous times in her quest for humanity. The book was about myths, fairytales to a point. We had even found a story involving Remus's name! We laughed about it all the time, sure that the guy had been born under an unlucky star. He was practically destined to become a werewolf.

The children and adults sorted through the things with care, as if trying not to destroy them in any way. They were clearly a family. The older woman was the mother and the man the father. The mother had found my book when she turned to look at me.

"You know Remus Lupin?" she breathed, incredulous.

"What?" She hadn't even opened it!

"His handwriting. This is it. I used to be a prefect in school, I confiscated plans for pranks from him and his friends all the time. He always wrote them. This is his handwriting. How do you know him?"

"We met him a while ago. A few years ago."

"He disappeared two years ago," the father whispered softly. "Molly, call Dumbledore."

"No!" I involuntarily yelled. Dumbledore was not good. I didn't know much about him, but he was against everything that the pack was for. He had fought the Dark Lord, which was enough anyways. Remus had been an exception in that part and he had no choice but to accept us and us, him. "No, please! Not him. We'll give you your stuff back, just don't call him!"

Maria shot me a look as if I was insane.

"Let me talk to him," she asked slowly. "Please, can I talk to my brother? I can probably calm him down." The two boys holding us exchanged a look before shrugging and pushing us towards each other.

"Are you insane?" she hissed to me, grabbing me by the collar. I ripped her hands off.

"No. Do you know what it _means_ if Dumbledore comes here?"

"We can live normally, be like regular people!"

"We never will be normal, get over it! And what can _he_ do except destroy our lives?"

"We could go to school, go to Hogwarts! You hear Remus talk about it all the time, don't tell me you ignore it!" I averted my eyes and she groaned. "You do, don't you? He says it's the most wonderful place in the world! Accommodations could be made for us, we would have somewhere every night to sleep, we could sleep in _beds_, soft comfortable beds! We wouldn't get cold during the winter, we could always have food… oh, please, Harry?"

"What about the pack? Just betray them all?"

"Why not? You know what the adults all do, and even you hate it. They torture and kill humans for the fun of it! Why are you so oblivious to it all! We were humans once, right?"

"I don't want to be captured."

"Neither do I, but if it gives me the freedom I've been dreaming of my whole life, then so help me! I'll be captured!" It was a lost battle. As much as I would hate to be under Dumbledore's reign, I couldn't just give Maria to the wolves… figuratively, of course. I decided to try once more.

"What about Remus? He'll be left there and taken in when we reveal the secrets and they'll think he does everything the others do. He'll be killed or put into prison or something. And if we don't tell, he'll live there and either be tortured, miserable, or killed anyways!" She pondered this for a moment.

"You're right," she whispered. "We have to get Remus first and then come back and get Dumbledore!"

"No! That's not what I was trying to say!" I buried my head in my hands. She was so stubborn, more stubborn than me! And that was a tough record to beat.

"Harry, please. I don't want to be part of the pack. We have less than a year until we are. Have you ever considered that we won't be mated, that we'll be like Remus?" I rolled my eyes.

"Fine. Look, if we can get out of this, we'll get Remus and then get Dumbledore." I spat the latter name. "But you're doing the talking." She threw her arms around my neck.

"Yes, yes, yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She turned on her heel and ran towards the family, who was observing us with peculiar faces.

"Ron! Ginny! Fred! George! Percy! Go into the backyard!" the father ordered. The children raced out, only leaving the two oldest in the room. I approached Maria cautiously.

"Werewolves? In the area?" Molly whispered, frightened. "Greyback?" She was holding my booklet, open to a page with the people in the pack.

"Yes," Maria breathed. "But we don't want to be like that!" I shot her a look. "Okay, I don't want to be like that. Harry could care less, but he'll come with me no matter what. Right, Harry?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," I muttered darkly.

"But you can't call Dumbledore yet," Maria continued. "We have friends there, friends that have done nothing wrong. And if the Aurors show up he'll be arrested with the rest of them and probably killed. He grew up in civilization, he's told us all about it. He said that people don't make any allowances for werewolves." She grew quiet at the end, shy. "I'm awfully sorry for stealing your food."

"Oh, no, dear, it's alright, no harm done, right?" Molly reached out her hand and hesitantly patted her cheek. I instinctively flinched. Just watching it made me anxious. I noticed Maria pull away.

"Can we… can we have some time before you call him?"

Charlie was the one who answered this time. He grabbed her arm and began to scan it curiously.

"We can probably get Dumbledore to save your friend. Now, where is your bite?"

"Other arm." She pulled away and showed him the deep red scar. "And they'll hurt him if anyone else comes. They have his wand and they have weapons! Muggle weapons. Something called a gun. They've turned it on him and if someone tries to save him, to help him escape, they won't hesitate to shoot them or him. Our best chance is sneaking him out at night."

"Can you do it tonight?"

"We don't know. We can try." Silence overtook the room.

"Arthur, get these children something to eat," Molly ordered. Her husband spluttered.

"B-b-but I can't cook!"

"Get them some fruit or bread! They look half starved. Now, Maria – is that your name? It says it here."

"Yes."

"Maria, you and Harry can eat something before you go." I shook my head no.

"We should go. We've been gone long enough. They'll be wondering where we are."

"Harry, we're late!" Maria suddenly gasped. "The partners! They're announcing them! _Today!_ We're late, we're so late! Oh no, we're in so much trouble."

"If we're a little late, it won't make a difference," I assured her. "Besides, if _he_ comes for us, the mating won't matter."

"But we're still late! And technically we're Remus's charge. Remember what happened last time we got into trouble?" I winced. Remus had come back two days later, heavily bandaged.

"…We've got to get back."

"You understand this _now?_ Go, I'll finish this!"

"You need to go?" Bill clarified. When we nodded, he pushed two potatoes into each of our hands. "Then take these so it doesn't look like you were gone for nothing. And go!"

We ran as fast as we could back to the woods and managed to stumble into our clearing moments before the official meeting began.

"Harry, Maria!" Remus ran forward to us, casting nervous glances over his shoulder. "Oh thank goodness you're back in time. If you weren't…" He shuddered.

"We rushed back when we realized how late it was."

"We didn't want you to get hurt."

"Where were you two?" We shrugged and showed him the potatoes.

"On a raid. We knew you wouldn't approve, so we didn't bother telling you." I shrugged it off.

"You're right, I don't," he muttered. "But if you have to in order to survive, I guess it's better than nothing."

"Have one, we have plenty." Maria pretty much shoved the vegetable into his hands. He smiled gratefully at us. We all depended on each other so much. I didn't know what would happen if we were separated.

"If you're thirteen, gather round!" Greyback yelled. "Now! Boys on one side, girls on the other!" Maria squeezed my hand once before parting. Remus stood to the side and smiled, watching. He hated this life, but he couldn't help feeling paternal to us, two of the most savage wolves of the pack. Well, one of them anyways. Maria was always pretty tame.

"You nervous?" one of the other boys asked me. We weren't really friends, just acquaintances. Most of the others didn't even bother to speak to me, but Steven was always pretty civil towards me.

"Yeah, a bit. Who do you think you'll be paired with? I have no clue." His mouth dropped.

"No clue? It's so obvious that you'll be paired with Maria."

"No I won't. That's so stupid."

"You two are attached at the hip. Everyone knows you'll be partnered. Except you two." There was something wrong with that picture. Maria and I were friends, yes, best friends, closer than siblings. Nothing romantic at all.

"But I don't like her that way! We… she's like my sister!" He laughed.

"Try telling that to _them_. Oh, shush, they're starting."

Each pair would walk up and either be delighted or slightly hesitant to greet each other. It was mostly delighted. Not one person resisted their partner.

"Maria and Harry." I gulped as I heard her gasp. "Well? Where are you? Get up here!" I shoved my way through the shrinking crowd and was met by Maria's astonished face.

We both grimaced, knowing that nothing good could happen from this. "Get out of here, now!"

We scurried away, her hand cutting off my circulation. I wrenched myself away and shook it out.

"I can't believe they partnered us! Us! _Us!_ No, no, no, no! I hate it! I hate this pair! Why? Why us? Together? I mean, sure we're close, but not that way! Us, together, romantically…" She made a face. "It's just not right."

"Agreed," I readily responded.

"This is even more motivation to get out of here. It always seemed effective, this pairing thing, but I want to choose the person I spend my life with! I don't want to find out at thirteen and be stuck! I want to make my own choices, to live a full life, I want to go to school, and meet other people, make new friends, get a job! Harry, please, can we go tonight?"

"Go where?" The low voice came from behind me and I spun around to see the owner. I let out a sigh of relief. It was just Remus.

"We're escaping, Remus, getting out of here. You're coming with us. The only reason we're not already gone is because we didn't want to leave you behind." Maria was breathless, her face flushed. Remus's fell. I expected it to be just as alight as hers.

"This is so dangerous," he whispered. "We can't."

"We can and we will. We have arrangements made. They're going to get Dumbledore!"

"No, Maria, it's so risky! If we get caught, we'll be killed! And how did you even make these arrangements?"

"If we get killed, whoop-dee-doo, we're all going to die eventually. As for the arrangements," Maria blushed. "Harry, you tell him."

"Harry…" Remus's tone was full of warnings.

"We got caught," I rushed. He groaned.

"By who?"

"We don't know! A family! Red hair, lotsa kids, um, I don't know!"

"Weasleys," he muttered. His bleak expression cleared a bit. "Molly will have already called Dumbledore, with her maternal instincts and all. Alright, we leave tonight." A little grin stretched across his face. A flicker of mischief lit up his eyes, something we had never seen before. "I've got an idea."

The sinking feeling in my stomach told me that those words coming from Remus Lupin meant nothing good.

* * *

**Ok, so, I hope you all liked that! More to come! But I've been very busy lately, so it will take a while, same with reviews.**

**There I go, assuming I'll get reviews! AGAIN! But Harry said that there's no way I will get reviews... that makes me sad... wanna help prove him wrong?**

**Oh and yes, Harry is 14, but he thinks he's 13 because of the faulty age system. Ginny is truly 13, as is Maria.**


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